Regional Groups
There are currently ten regional groups of the BSC – also see Regional Events and Archived Events
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
- North East
- Yorkshire and Humberside
- North West
- Midlands
- South (inc. London)
- South Coastal
- South West
– also see Regional Events
Scotland
Contact: Professor Michele Burman, University of Glasgow, at Michele.Burman@glasgow.ac.uk
The Scotland Branch membership consists of staff and postgraduate students from several Scottish Universities and those working in criminal justice policy and practice in national and local government, statutory agencies and the voluntary sector. The Branch has strong links with the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) and the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR), both of which are collaborative partnerships between several Scottish Universities.
University of Aberdeen
Abertay University
University of Dundee
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh Napier University
University of Glasgow
Glasgow Caledonian University
Heriot-Watt University
University of the Highlands and Islands
Queen Margaret University
Robert Gordon University
University of St Andrews
University of Stirling
University of Strathclyde
University of West Scotland
– also see Regional Events
Wales
Contact: Professor Martina Feilzer, Bangor University (m.feilzer@bangor.ac.uk) and Michael Levi, Cardiff University (Levi@cardiff.ac.uk).
The Wales branch was launched at the end of 2007 (but was previously part of the Wales and West group).The main activity of the branch is a programme of seminars showcasing the most relevant and exciting research in criminology and criminal justice.
A range of speakers have presented at these seminars – ranging from local PhD students to established and eminent academics from in and outside Wales, such as Professor Rod Morgan, former Chairman of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, and Professor Pat Carlen, Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Criminology. More recently, Professor Steve Tombs discussed the aftermath and consequences of the Grenfell Tower tragedy at the University of South Wales and, at Bangor, Nicola Harding from Leeds Trinity University presented ‘You know what I mean…’ an auto-ethnographic account of co-produced research with criminalised women.
The audiences normally consist of academics, postgraduate students and some practitioners, such as local police officers and YOT staff. One of the aims in recent years has been to hold seminars at more Welsh universities and, pleasingly, the University of South Wales, Cardiff, Swansea and Newport and Bangor have hosted seminars.
Aberystwyth University
Bangor University
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Cardiff University
Glyndŵr University
The Open University in Wales
Swansea University
University of South Wales
University of Wales
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
– also see Regional Events
Northern Ireland
Contact Shadd Maruna S.Maruna@qub.ac.uk
The Branch membership consists of members from both the Law School and the Department of Sociology at Queen’s, as well as criminology and criminal justice academics at the University of Ulster. Branch activities also regularly attract practitioners from a wide array of statutory agencies and community groups from across Northern Ireland. The Branch also has very strong links to the annual Irish Criminology Conference.
Open University in Ireland
Queen’s University Belfast
Ulster University
– also see Regional Events
North East
For more information on the North East branch contact Dr Clare Wiper, Northumbria University: clare2.wiper@northumbria.ac.uk
Durham University
Newcastle University
Northumbria University
University of Sunderland
Teesside University
– also see Regional Events
Yorkshire and Humberside
Contact the convenor: Helen Johnston H.Johnston@hull.ac.uk
University of Bradford
University of Huddersfield
University of Hull
University of Leeds
Leeds Beckett University
Leeds Trinity University
University of Sheffield
Sheffield Hallam University
University of York
York St John University
– also see Regional Events
North West
For more information on the North West branch contact Steve Wakeman S.J.Wakeman@ljmu.ac.uk
The North West Branch of the BSC provides funding for a series of seminars across the region. In 2016 two successful events were held at Liverpool Hope University and Salford University (see archive).
Blackburn College
Lancaster University
Liverpool Hope University
Liverpool John Moores University
Manchester Metropolitan University
The University of Manchester
The University of Central Lancashire
University of Liverpool
University of Salford
Edge Hill University
University of Chester
University of Bolton
University of Cumbria
– also see Regional Events
Midlands
Contact Melanie Jordan or Kate Moss (Melanie.Jordan@nottingham.ac.uk; K.Moss@derby.ac.uk )
Aston University
University of Birmingham
Birmingham City University
Coventry University
De Montfort University
Derby
Keele University
University of Leicester
University of Lincoln
Loughborough University
University of Northampton
University of Nottingham
Nottingham Trent University
Staffordshire University
University of Warwick
University of Worcester
– also see Regional Event
South (inc. London)
Contact Anna Sergi (asergi@essex.ac.uk) and Maria Adams (m.n.adams@surrey.ac.uk)
Also, see their blog posting ‘Criminological Postcards from London’.
Imperial College London
University College London
King’s College London
London School of Economics and Political Science
Queen Mary, University of London
Royal Holloway University of London
SOAS – School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
City University London
Brunel University
Birkbeck College, University of London
Goldsmiths, University of London
Kingston University
London Metropolitan University
University of East London
University of Greenwich
University of Oxford
University of Reading
University of Surrey
Oxford Brookes University
University of Kent
Middlesex University
St Mary’s University, Twickenham
University of Cambridge
University of East Anglia
University of Suffolk
University of Essex
University of Hertfordshire
– also see Regional Events
South West
Contact: Chair Dr Zoë James, Plymouth University, at Z.James@plymouth.ac.uk or Branch Secretary Dr Iain Channing iain.channing@plymouth.ac.uk
The South West branch was launched at the University of Plymouth Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies Symposium, ‘The Criminological Enterprise: Maximising Impact’, in 2009. The aim of the South West branch is to provide a forum for academics, students and practitioners to engage with criminological issues through a regular seminar series.
University of Bristol
University of Exeter
University of Bath
Bath Spa University
University of the West of England
University of Plymouth
– also see Regional Events
Regional Events
- Scotland branch
- Wales branch
- Northern Ireland branch
- North East branch
- Yorkshire and Humberside branch
- North West branch
- Midlands branch
- South branch (inc. London)
- South Coastal branch
- South West branch
Events are typically scheduled from September to the beginning of July each year. During the current period of concern about CoVid-19, we are only scheduling online events. Watch the bulletin for details
Recent Events
Scotland Branch
Wales Branch
‘Public Criminology Through Public Education’
March 29, 2021 – This was recorded and is available via YouTube
This interdisciplinary event brought together academics from Criminology, Arts & Humanities, Education, and practitioners from the Criminal Justice System to share innovation in learning and teaching. The event was joint-funded by the British Society of Criminology Learning and Teaching Network and the Welsh Branch of the British Society of Criminology, and hosted by Swansea University’s Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law.
YouTube link to whole event
Links for the presentations:
- Learning Together: What role for partnerships and a dialogic pedagogy?
- Conversations: Community, Higher Education & Desistance
- Making Change Through Research and Impact
- The Myopia of Public Criminology & the need for a Critical Education ‘Impact’
- Lessons from Prison Teaching for the University Classroom: Strategies and Risks
Future events to be announced.
Northern Ireland Branch
North East Branch
Yorkshire and Humberside Branch
Social Justice Research: Making Change Happen? – Sheffield Hallam University – Weds 8th March 2023
The theme of this one day workshop will focus broadly on social justice and criminal justice research and academic work with practitioners, external organisations and partners. We are keen for speakers to reflect upon constructive collaboration as well as the various challenges that researchers working with practitioners or external organisations to make change happen, for example, putting theory into practice, conflicting ideologies and outcomes, or positionality or personal ethics.
If you are interested in speaking at this event about your research or your collaboration then please send a 150-200 word abstract to Helen Johnston H.Johnston@hull.ac.uk by Monday 13th February 2023. Papers will be approximately 15-20 mins.
We welcome submissions from all researchers and aim to create a positive and inviting forum for discussion so please do encourage doctoral researchers and early career researchers to submit a paper or just to come along and join the discussion.
‘Emotionally Challenging Research’ event held at the Leeds Trinity University campus in Horsforth, Leeds on Monday 21 November 2022.
Keynote lecture given by Professor Sharon Grace (University of York) on ‘Hearing the voices of women involved in drugs and crime’.
The aim is to hold three face-to-face events across this academic year, in July 2023 the Regional chair Helen Johnston will be stepping down and will be keen to hear from people who might be interested in taking up this role as chair or anyone who would like to join her to collaborate in the short-term. Contact H.Johnston@hull.ac.u
North West branch
Midlands branch
The BSC Midlands Region, in collaboration with the University of Derby’s College of Business, Law and Social Sciences, will be running a seminar on Wednesday 24 May 2023 at 2pm in room 201 Friargate Squate, University of Derby. There are three really interesting speakers from both Derby and Nottingham University.
Refreshments will be provided on arrival and at the end of the afternoon and we hope that you will stay and join us afterwards for further discussions in an informal social atmosphere. It will provide a good chance for colleagues to get together.
If you would like further information or would like to register your attendance please click here.
BSC Midlands Regional group with University of Wolverhampton: Reimagining Probation and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Conference. 18 January 2023, 9am-6pm; University of Wolverhampton, City Campus.
This conference invites academics and practitioners to discuss their experiences, examinations, or expectations of the renationalisation of the Probation Service in England and Wales and further appraise what path the new model imagines for probation and the rehabilitation of offenders. In addition, the conference is interested in other developments in the area that may have accompanied renationalisation, such as OMiC, IOM (Refresh) and others and their impact on the culture and practice of probation and associated services. The conference also appreciates how the renationalisation era has come after the challenging part-privatised state of the Probation Service which has been heavily criticised by academics, practitioners, and service users alike. As such, it also invites discussion of the aftermath of part-privatisation of the service in relation to the state in which renationalisation has found probation services, and, crucially, the continuing impact of the Transforming Rehabilitation policy. Finally, the conference is interested in comparative approaches as well as experience or research on probation from other jurisdictions which may demonstrate developments in working with offenders and new rehabilitation policies outside England and Wales too.
COVID & Imprisonment: BSC & CJRC Event. 24 February 2022.
BSC Midlands Branch & Criminal Justice Research Centre, University of Nottingham
Speakers:
• Professor Lynn Saunders OBE = Prison leadership during COVID.
• Dr Olga Suhomlinova = Transgender and non-binary prisoners and COVID.
• Steve Bravery = COVID prison risk assessment, risk reduction, and remote reviews during COVID.
• Paula Harriott & PPN = Covid-19 Action Prisons Project: Tracking Innovation, Valuing Experience.
• Oscar O’Mara = A prison ethnography PhD during COVID.
Author Meets Critic: ‘Complex Inequalities and Innovative Solutions.’ University of Derby on 6 July 2022
The speakers and critics for this event were:
• Valeria Abreu, University of Derby, UK – Changing Patterns of Domestic Homicide in light of Covid-19 in England and Wales.
• Thomas Guiney, University of Nottingham, UK – Parole, Parole Boards and the institutional Dilemmas of Contemporary Prison Release.
• Andrew Henley, University of Nottingham, UK – When ‘Ideal Victim’ meets ‘Criminalised Other’: Criminal Records and the Denial of the Victim.
• David Patton, University of Derby, UK – Motivations for Change in Drug Recovery: Turning Points as the Antidotes to the Pains of Recovery.
Desistance and Rehabilitation: International Perspectives
Online Conference – Hosted by the University of Derby. 7 December 2021. – watch again.
Southern branch
BSC Southern branch (Co-organised with the Mannheim Centre)
Prisoner Re-Entry and Neoliberalism. 26 January 2022. Alessandro De Giorgi (San Jose State University, California).
Constraints and opportunities in transnational drug markets: A social network analysis of cocaine and heroin supply to Europe. 23 February 2022. Giulia Berlusconi (Surrey University).
Policing the ‘savage horde’: Settler masculinities and racist violence in the U.S. Mexico borderlands. 11 May 2022. Margarita Aragon (Birkbeck, University of London).
Forensic Psychologists: Prisons, Power, and Vulnerability. 25 May 2022. Jason Warr (De Montfort University).
Orderly Britain: How we solve our everyday problems from dog fouling to double parking. 8 June 2022. Tim Newburn (LSE).
South Coastal (in association with the Institute of Criminal Justice Research, University of Southampton)
South West branch
Research Seminar: Hate in the UK. 21 March 204
University of Plymouth. This event is free to attend. If you would like to register your attendance or have any questions, then please email iain.channing@plymouth.ac.uk
Dr Ben Colliver is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Birmingham City University. He has published widely in the area of gender and sexuality, with a specific focus on transphobic hate crime. He is an active researcher that explores issues of inclusion, discrimination and hate.
Title: The Role of (In)Visibility in Transphobic Hate Crime
Abstract: Research into transphobic hate crime is still in its infancy in the United Kingdom compared to more established strands of victim identity. This presentation will address multiple ways that trans identities are shaped and understood by both victims and perpetrators of transphobic hate crime. In doing so, notions of a ‘master identity’ will be explored, and the role of ‘invisibility’ in victimisation, both through an intersectional lens.
Dr Jane Healy is Principal Academic in Criminology in the Department of Social Sciences and Social Work, Bournemouth University. Jane’s research interests are at the intersections of hate crime victimisation, misogyny, domestic abuse and violence. Jane’s PhD was on disablist hate crimes and she has published in Disability & Society, the Journal of Adult Protection and the Journal of Gender-Based Violence. She has recently edited a book with Dr Ben Colliver titled “Contemporary Intersectional Criminology in the UK: Examining the Boundaries of intersectionality and crime”. Jane teaches across the social science programmes at BU, including on terrorism, intersectionality, and hate crimes, and runs the Masters programme in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Title: Developing a profile of disablist hate crime offenders
Abstract: Disabled people are more likely to be victims of crime, more likely to be in poverty and live in areas of socio-economic deprivation. As a result they are harassed, intimidated, and exploited, within their communities, in their local neighbourhoods, and on public transport, often by neighbours, members of their community, and people they know. Consequently, most disabled people live in fear, they limit their activities, are less trusting of others, and avoid ‘risky’ situations. This presentation considers what we know about disablist hate crime offenders, by exploring the situated actions and reactions of these offenders and their victims, drawing on a series of research projects conducted by Jane and her colleague Val Houghton at University of Salford.
This presentation is taken from an upcoming book chapter written jointly with Val Houghton in “Hate Crime Perpetrators: New Perspectives on Offender Profiles and Motivation” edited by Jon Garland, Irene Zempi and Jo Smith, to be published by Palgrave in 2025
Dr Gina Gwenffrewi is a lecturer in Trans Studies at the University of Edinburgh and LGBTQ+ rep on the UCU’s National Standing Committee. Her published articles include ‘JK Rowling and the Echo Chamber of Secrets’ and ‘The stoning of Stonewall during the new trans panic,’ and her first book, on the response of trans counterpublics to JK Rowling, will be published by Ohio State University Press in 2025.
Title: Inflammatory media discourse in its coverage of trans issues in the UK in 2023: a talk
Abstract: The U.K.’s anti-trans moral panic is widely recognized to have emerged as a result of the legacy media’s intensifying coverage of Gender Recognition Act reform circa 2016. The adverse coverage has arguably led to a growing public hostility to trans rights (BSA 40, 2023: 39) over the same period, as well as an increase in anti-trans hate crime of 56% (Home Office, 2022). The connection between media coverage and public hostility has attracted public statements of condemnation by international bodies such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Liberty (2020), with further statements of concern from the Council of Europe (2021) and ILGA Europe (2022). My talk will look at some characteristics of the anti-trans coverage in 2023, specifically relating to the Guardian, Times and Daily Mail. I will balance this focus by highlighting the alternative, more affirming media ecosystem of trans counter-publics in 2023.